Miami-Dade Mayoral Candidates Share How They Would Handle Reopening Of Restaurants
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Outgoing Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who's barred by term limits, is allowing restaurants to once again seat people inside at a reduced capacity of 50% starting Monday.
"I am nervous about that because we know that in enclosed places, the virus does circulate," Daniella Levine Cava said.
County mayoral candidate and current county Commissioner Levine Cava believes a smaller capacity indoors is needed.
"I recommended a slower opening. You know Labor Day and all holidays have turned out to be times when there has been an increase," she said.
She does support the recommendations for windows and doors being open along with the A/C flowing to circulate the air.
Her opponent, mayoral candidate and current county Commissioner Esteban Bovo, believes restaurants have suffered enough.
"The restaurant industry was unjustly punished and fingered for this, as the spreader of the pandemic," he said.
Commissioner Bovo believes a greater capacity is needed at restaurants, especially to help owners and employees make more money. He also says other factors are to blame for the surge in cases.
"Many young people going out to the beaches and going to clubs, kind of living their life normally. We also had disturbances. We had a lot of rioting going on," Bovo said.
Either Levine Cava or Bovo will be in charge of restrictions or curfews if needed in Miami-Dade after the November election.
Both also say they want to help build back business. Bovo says that includes cutting the red-tape for new business. Levine Cava says it includes helping struggling businesses get loans from the county and getting private donors to add to the pool.
Both admit facial coverings and social distance are working and should continue to keep the infection low.
